Rom. Art thou so bare, and full of wretchedness,
And fear'st to die? famine is in thy cheeks,
Need and oppression starveth in thy eyes,
Upon thy back hangs ragged misery,

The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law:
The world affords no law to make thee rich;
Then be not poor, but break it, and take this.
Ap. My poverty, but not my will, consents.
Rom. I pay thy poverty, and not thy will.
Ap. Put this in any liquid thing you will,
And drink it off; and, if you had the strength
Of twenty men, it would despatch you straight.

Rom. There is thy gold; worse poison to men's souls, Doing more murders in this loathsome world, Than these poor compounds that thou may'st not sell : I sell thee poison, thou hast sold me none. Farewell; buy food, and get thyself in flesh.— Come, cordial, and not poison; go with me To Juliet's grave, for there must I use thee.

SCENE II.

Friar Laurence's Cell.

Enter Friar JOHN.

John. Holy Franciscan friar! brother, ho!

Enter Friar LAURENCE.

[Exeunt.

Lau. This same should be the voice of friar John.—

Welcome from Mantua: What says Romeo?

Or, if his mind be writ, give me his letter.

John. Going to find a bare-foot brother out,

One of our order, to associate me,

2

2 One of our order, to associate me,] Each friar has always a companion assigned him by the superior when he asks leave to go out; and thus they are a check upon each other.

Here in this city visiting the sick,
And finding him, the searchers of the town,
Suspecting, that we both were in a house
Where the infectious pestilence did reign,
Seal'd up the doors, and would not let us forth;
So that my speed to Mantua there was stay'd.
Lau. Who bare my letter then to Romeo?
John. I could not send it, here it is again,
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,
So fearful were they of infection.

Lau. Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood,
The letter was not nice3, but full of charge,
Of dear import; and the neglecting it
May do much danger: Friar John, go hence;
Get me an iron crow, and bring it straight.
Unto my cell.

John. Brother, I'll go and bring it thee.
Lau. Now must I to the monument alone;
Within this three hours will fair Juliet wake;
She will beshrew me much, that Romeo
Hath had no notice of these accidents;
But I will write again to Mantua,

And keep her at my cell till Romeo come;

[Exit.

Poor living corse, clos'd in a dead man's tomb! [Exit.

SCENE III.

A Churchyard; in it, a Monument belonging to the

Capulets.

Enter PARIS, and his Page, bearing Flowers and a Torch.

Par. Give me thy torch, boy: Hence, and stand aloof;

3 was not nice,] i. e. was not written on a trivial or idle subject.

Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.
Under yon yew-trees lay thee all along,
Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground;
So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,
(Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves,)
But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me,
As signal that thou hear'st something approach.
Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.
Page. I am almost afraid to stand alone
Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure.

[Retires.

Par. Sweet flower, with flowers I strew thy bridal bed: Sweet tomb, that in thy circuit dost contain

The perfect model of eternity;

Fair Juliet, that with angels dost remain,
Accept this latest favour at my hands;
That living honour'd thee, and, being dead,
With funeral praises do adorn thy tomb!

[The Boy whistles.

The boy gives warning, something doth approach.
What cursed foot wanders this way to-night,
To cross my obsequies, and true love's rites?
What, with a torch!-muffle me, night, awhile.

[Retires.

Enter ROMEO and BALTHASAR, with a Torch, Mattock,

&c.

Rom. Give me that mattock, and the wrenching-iron, Hold, take this letter; early in the morning

See thou deliver it to my lord and father.
Give me the light: Upon thy life I charge thee,
Whate'er thou hear'st or seest, stand all aloof,

And do not interrupt me in my course.
Why I descend into this bed of death,
Is, partly, to behold my lady's face :

But, chiefly, to take thence from her dead finger

1

A precious ring; a ring, that I must use

In dear employment: therefore hence, be gone: -
But if thou, jealous, dost return to pry
In what I further shall intend to do,
By heaven, I will tear thee joint by joint,

And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs :
The time and my intents are savage-wild;
More fierce, and more inexorable far,
Than empty tigers, or the roaring sea.

Bal. I will begone, sir, and not trouble you.

Rom. So shalt thou show me friendship.—Take thou

that:

Live, and be prosperous; and farewell, good fellow. Bal. For all this same, I'll hide me hereabout; His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt.

[Retires. Rom. Thou détestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorg'd with the dearest morsel of the earth,

Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,

[Breaking open the Door of the Monument. And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food! Par. This is that banish'd haughty Montague, That murder'd my love's cousin; -with which grief, It is supposed, the fair creature died,

And here is come to do some villainous shame

To the dead bodies: I will apprehend him.- [Advances.
Stop thy unhallow'd toil, vile Montague ;

Can vengeance be pursu'd further than death?
Condemn'd villain, I do apprehend thee:
Obey, and go with me; for thou must die.

Rom. I must, indeed; and therefore came I hither.Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man,

Let them affright thee. — I beseech thee, youth,
Heap not another sin upon my head,

4

dear employment:] That is, action of importance. Gems

were supposed to have great powers and virtues.

By urging me to fury: - O, be gone!
By heaven, I love thee better than myself:
For I come hither arm'd against myself;
Stay not, be gone; - live, and hereafter say,-
A madman's mercy bade thee run away.
Par. I do defy thy conjurations, 5
And do attach thee as a felon here.

Rom. Wilt thou provoke me ? then have at thee, boy.

[They fight. Page. O Lord! they fight: I will go call the watch.

[Exit Page.

Par. O, I am slain! [falls.]— If thou be merciful, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.

[Dies.

Rom. In faith, I will: Let me peruse this face;
Mercutio's kinsman, noble county Paris:-
What said my man, when my betossed soul
Did not attend him as we rode? I think,
He told me, Paris should have married Juliet:
Said he not so? or did I dream it so?

Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet,
To think it was so? O, give me thy hand,
One writ with me in sour misfortune's book!
I'll bury thee in a triumphant grave, -
A grave? O, no; a lantern", slaughter'd youth,
For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes
This vault a feasting presence 7 full of light.

5 I do defy thy conjurations,] Paris conceived Romeo to have burst open the monument for no other purpose than to do some villainous shame on the dead bodies, such as witches are reported to have practised; and therefore tells him he defies him, and the magick arts which he suspects he is preparing to use. But perhaps the true meaning here is, “I refuse to do as thou conjurest me to do, i. e. to depart."

6 A grave? O, no; a lantern,] A lantern may not, in this instance, signify an enclosure for a lighted candle, but a louvre, or what in ancient records is styled lanternium, i. e. a spacious round or octagonal turret full of windows, by means of which cathedrals, and sometimes halls, are illuminated.

7 presence-] A presence is a publick room.